Process of making ornamental candles



Jan. 15, 1963 D. M. ANDERSON PROCESS OF MAKING ORNAMENTAL CANDLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17. 1961 INV EN TOR flaw/u A! flAwEesoN ATTORNEYS Jan. 15, 1963 D. M. ANDERSON 3,072,970

PROCESS OF MAKING ORNAMENTAL CANDLES Filed April 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ian ,4; M 4/1 J/5e50/v BY 7 MM ATTORNEYS Unite ttes This invention relates to a process of making ornamental candles, and has as its primary object the provision of a step by step process of manufacturing candles having ornamental designs thereon, and the process being accomplished with a minimum of time, effort, and difiiculty.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a process of making candles which is less time consuming than hitherto known processes for producing such decorative articles.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a process of making candles which incorporates the steps of forming a mold, ornamenting the inside of a mold before assembly thereof, assembling the mold with the wick in position centrally thereof, filling the mold, with one side still open with pre-formed blocks of wax, and subsequently pouring molten wax into the mold, allowing the wax to harden and stripping the mold from the ornamented candle.

Still other objects reside in the steps and details of the process, and the sequence of operation.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description proceeds and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein there are illustrated, diagrammatically, several of the steps incident to the process of the instant invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view of the component parts of the mold after being cut and secured in related assembly by masking tape.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the mold after the surface decoration for the candle has been applied to certain of the sides thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the mold in partially assembled relation filled with cubes or blocks of wax.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the step of the process which it discloses pouring molten max into the mold to complete the candle. 7

FIGURE 5 is 'a perspective view of the mold in inverted position showing the bottom thereof prior to filling.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the mold being stripped from the finished hardened candle, and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the completed ornamental candle.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 discloses schematically a preliminary step in the process; A mold, in this case a rectangular mold, is formed by cutting four sections 20, 21, 22, and 23 of cardboard, of any suitable thickness, such as 14 ply or heavier depending upon the size of the candle. These forms are precut either by hand or machine in specified shapes for specified candles, and each side has a flat surface. In the assembly of the mold the four strips are aligned in parallelism, as indicated in FIG. 1 and secured together at spaced points with Scotch or masking tape 24. The seams are then sealed with heavy duty brown paper tape, a fragment of which is indicated at 25.

The top of the candle mold 26 is then cut either by hand or machine and perforated as at 27, and the wick inserted through the perforation. The wick 28 isknotted and the puncture is sealed with masking tape and the atent wick pulled until it is flush with the outside face of the top shape.

The component wax including the wax used for the decorativeeifect is melted down, and the wax employed with decorations is colored with various dyes or crayons and is then poured into shallow pans and allowed to set until firm but not hard. At this point various decorative shapes are out either by hand or by premade cutters or grids. The thickness of the wax is optional, but may preferably be approximately thick. After the wax has hardened to a point where it may be easily knocked from the pan, the wax to be employed for filler cubes is prepared in the same manner with the exception of the fact that it-is poured in a thicker layer from /2" to thick. After the wax designs 30 have been formulated as above described to be employed in creating the inlay design of the candle, the portions 30 are now adhered to the inner face of the selected strips 20, 21, 22, and 23 in a predetermined desired pattern, the adherence taking the form of suitable adhesive, such as a plastic resin glue. The glue may either be dabbed upon the smooth face of each precut piece of wax and pressed into place on the face of the mold, or the area on the face of the mold which will take the design may be precoated in the design wax portion placed thereon.

The design may be limited to a single face of the candle, or may be carried around the faces or positioned on the several faces as may be necessary. The individual pieces of wax may be tapered to allow the pieces of wax to join when the mold is closed if desired.

After the adherent has set firmly the final edges of the mold are connected as shown in FIG. 3 with the exception of one edge 20 which is left open as indicated. The end piece 26 is taped in by suitable portions of masking tape 31, and the mold has its entire seamed surface covered with strips of heavy brown paper 25. Brown paper tape is employed to seal the top to insure that no leakage of hot wax occurs.

At this point a square of corrugated cardboard 35, as shown in FIG. 4, is attached to the top of the candle with tape. This piece of cardboard allows for a footing and balance when the candle is poured. The small hole 36 in the outside face of the center of the cardboard allows for the knot on the outside face of the top of the mold so that the mold will remain even and upright. The mold may then be filled with precut chunks of wax which may either be clear or colored, which are deposited evenly around the wick and packed in as tightly as possible without disturbing the inlay design adhered to the face of the mold. When the mold is completely full of chunks it is sealed, inverted and filled with hot molten wax at a temperature of approximately F., and is then allowed to set until the wax is hardened throughout the mold, the time element varying in accordance with the shape and size of the candle and the temperature of the room.

It is to be noted that the Wax 37 is poured over the chunks 38, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower portion of the wick 28 being suitably secured to a small bar or rod 38.

After the wax has fully set and the poured candle has hardened and the mold is stripped from the candle by first removing the brown paper and masking tape from each seam and untying the knot on the outside face of the tape side of the mold, the material used to hold the wick centered, 38 is removed and the wick trimmed as desired. The various faces of the mold are then easily removed from the candle 40, the completed article being shown in FIG. 7 with the inlaid designs 30 at appropriate places about its face.

ing-ornamental candles, which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may he made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to he understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I-claim:

Y 1. The process of making a decorative candle which comprises the steps of forming a mold blank, adhering decorations to the inside surface of said blank while in flat condition, partially folding the blank to form three sidesofan elongated open ended mold, positioning an end piece having a wick secured thereto on the partially folded mold, centering the Wick, filling the mold with partially solidified wax blocks, closing the open side of the mold, inverting themold with the end piece at the bottom, pouring molten wax into the mold over the blocks,'solidifying the wax and stripping the mold from the finished candle.

2. The process of making a decorative candle which comprises the steps of forming a mold blank, from a plurality of cardboard sections secured together by masking tape, adhering Wax decorations to the inside surface of said blank while in fiat condition, partially folding the blank to form three sides of an elongated open ended mold, positioning an end piece having a wick secured thereto on the partially folded mold, centering the wick, filling the mold with partially solidified wax blocks, closing the open side of the mold, inverting the mold with the end piece at the bottom, sealing the seams of the mold'with paper tape, pouring molten wax into the mold over the blocks, solidifying the wax, and stripping the mold including the end piece from the finished candle.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the wax decorations are partially but not completely hardened before adheringthe same to the mold. i

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the decorations are adhered to the mold by a plastic resin glue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,451 Cassimatis July 5, 1938 2,320,425 Glaes et al June 1, 1943 2,583,938 French Jan. 29, 1952 

1. THE PROCESS OF MAKING A DECORATIVE CANDLE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF FORMING A MOLD BLANK, ADHERING DECORATIONS TO THE INSIDE SURFACE OF SAID BLANK WHILE IN FLAT CONDITION, PARTIALLY FOLDING THE BLANK TO FORM THREE SIDES OF AN ELONGATED OPEN ENDED MOLD, POSITIONING AN END PIECE HAVING A WICK SECURED THERETO ON THE PARTIALLY FOLDED MOLD, CENTERING THE WICK, FILLING THE MOLD WITH PARTIALLY SOLIDIFIED WAX BLOCKS, CLOSING THE OPEN SIDE OF THE MOLD, INVERTING THE MOLD WITH THE END PIECE AT THE BOTTOM, POURING MOLTEN WAX INTO THE MOLD OVER THE BLOCKS, SOLIDIFYING THE WAX AND STRIPPING THE MOLD FROM THE FINISHED CANDLE. 